Ryllis Louise (Gnagy) Guist was born in Canton, Ohio on November 7, 1923 and passed away July 18, 2024.

She attended Baxter School in the first year it opened in the first grade. She also attended Lincoln Junior High School then graduated from McKinley High School in 1941, where she was captain of the Yale basketball team and participated in the synchronized swimming shows. The next Summer she was one of the first girl lifeguards in the area at Lake-O-Springs.

She received her R.N. Degree from the 3 year nursing program at Aultman Hospital in 1944 and was the first student nurse to be officially married before graduation. She worked as night supervisor at Aultman Hospital, then at Ravenna Hospital and University Hospital in Cleveland while her husband was in dental school.

She was a member of the New Neighbors League, Junior Chamber of Commerce Auxiliary and Stark County Dental Society Auxiliary in Canton.

In 1953 she started in Girl Scouting, as troop committee member for two daughters and was leader of the third daughter's troop for 11 years. Then she headed a council-wide international patrol of Senior Girl Scouts. Because of the council-wide international activities with that patrol, she was one of the first nine of hundreds, in the United Stated to receive the "Juliette Low World Friendship" medallion from The Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. Because of that she was selected to receive the 1978 President's Award by the Canton Junior League.

Her interest in international friendship continued with visits to the national headquarters of Girl Scouts or Girl Guides in many of the 46 countries visited. She experienced the Four World Centers of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) in London, England; Adelboden, Switzerland; Pane, India and took her troop to be selected as a program assistant at the triennial convention of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in New York in 1984.

As a member of the local council program committee, she was chairperson of "Daisy Day" at the Canton Civic Center which was attended by 4,000 local Girl Scouts in 1982.

In 1976, as a bicentennial project, she volunteered to be chairperson of the Memory Hall committee which gathered and displayed Girl Scout history artifacts for troop tours. She continued as chairperson of the archives until she was 80 years old in 2003 but continued to be on the committee until she relocated to Wisconsin in 2017.

In 1967, she received the "Thanks Badge" the highest award from the Girl Scout Council. Later the received the "Thanks II Badge" for continued volunteer activities. She was also honored with plaques in 1984 and 2004.

As a Life member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Canton, she served as a church council member for several terms. She was president of Trinity Lutheran Church Women for 2 terms then continued on the board for many years. She was also chairperson of the evangelism committee and global mission committee and leader of the Altar Guild team for many years. Consequently, she received Certificates of Appreciation from the church council and women's board.

In the Lutheran Northeastern Ohio Synod, she served on the global mission committee and was the chairperson of the companion synod committee for 6 years. She was on the bishop's team to visit the synod's companion diocese in South Africa and was instrumental in the exchange of Bishops and pastors, and was the liaison with the Trinity Lutheran companion, Giyani congregation in Kubune Parish in South Africa. After the death of her 103-year-old great aunt Emma Baer, in 1976 who had been a missionary in India, Ryllis, her husband and daughter Connie visited the hospital which Emma's sister, Dr Mary Baer had built in 1912. This led to a Canton Rotary Club project which raised funds for restoration of some of the buildings. Ryllis was the first woman to speak at the Rotary Club in Chirala, India, the location of Baer Hospital. She was also instrumental in raising funds through the Canton Rotary Club for the renovations at the Girl Guide Center in Pune, India.

After the first visit to India, Vijauamma Prasad, a "Bible Woman in Charge" spent 6 months at Trinity Lutheran Church, hosted by the Guists. "Vijji" and Ryllis presented over 30 programs to over 1,000 people about how a Bible Woman converts Asian Indians to be Christians. A lifetime friendship was established with Ryllis visiting India often and presenting programs for Girl Guides in India several times.

She and her Husband Harry James (Jimmy) Guise DDS Traveled in over 40 countries together. When he went to Rotary Clubs, she visited Girl Guides/Scout headquarters. They also enjoyed 8 cruises from Alaska to the Amazon River to the Greek Isles. They traveled with their children in the 48 states and Mexico then traveled in a mini motorhome to 48 states and Canada after retirement.

She was preceded in death by her parents, James M. Gnagy and Gertrude (Baer) Gnagy. One brother Leslie Gnagy and one sister Marcia Egger as well as her husband of 63 years Harry James (Jimmy) Guist DDS.

She is survived by one brother, James Gnagy of North Canton and 5 children: Connie Guist of Portland Oregon, Patty Guist (Beth Hartman) of Mequon, Wisconsin, Judy Guist of Portland, Oregon, Harry (Vicki) Guist of Castle Rock, Colorado and Bill (Connie) Guist of Lake Mohawk, Ohio. There are 11 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren, and 2 great, great grandchildren scattered across the USA.

Contributions in her memory can be sent to the World Foundation for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts Inc. P.O. Box 6457 Dept. 276, Indianapolis, IN 46206 www.wagggs.org

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date in Ohio.